Johnny Cash’s estate suing Coca-Cola over impersonation

Listen to this article

Your browser does not support the audio element.

According to a new lawsuit filed by Johnny Cash’s estate, Coca-Cola allegedly hired a tribute singer to impersonate the outlaw country hero’s voice in a new commercial. The ad, “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work,” aired in August, and records show that the estate filed a complaint on November 25 in Nashville, making the accusation that Coca-Cola “pirat[ed] Johnny Cash’s voice in a nationwide advertising campaign to enrich itself—without asking for permission or providing any compensation.” Tim Warnock of Loeb & Loeb, a lawyer representing Cash’s estate, wrote: “Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity. The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash—and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”

Cash’s estate is citing the 1988 ruling in Midler v. Ford Motor Co., which involved Bette Midler winning a dispute against Ford after the car company used an impersonator in one of their ads without her permission. Reading through the complaint, the ELVIS (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image) Act of 2024 is also mentioned. Cash’s estate is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a removal of the ad from all networks and services. I’ve seen the ad at least 50 times since the end of August, thanks to its incessant playing during college football game commercial breaks. It sounds like Cash for the most part, sure, but you can pick up on a few wonky details—singing choices the Man in Black would never make. If you’re curious, you can watch the ad below.

[embedded content]